The participants perceived rural candidates as being disadvantaged because of not having on-line facilities and therefore missing opportunities to be nurses.
1st Session: Participant D
“There are candidates who stay in rural areas who do not have access to on-line facilities. When candidates come to college to be assisted on how to apply on line, we refer them to switchboard because we also don’t know the process and they end up not being assisted. They miss the opportunity to be selected for nurse training.”
There is shortage of nurses particularly from remote and rural areas. The low acceptance rate is coupled by their inability to access the services for recruitment and selection. The acceptance rate of rural students in to the profession is significantly lower than those in urban areas as they can easily access the recruitment services. There should be support in addressing issues related to a lower acceptance rate and recruitment and selection for those interested in pursuing nursing as a career (Mixon & Bigbee 2013:1). Effective student nurse recruitment is essential to ensure that all prospective and appropriative individuals are selected. Higher education institutions should use a range of strategies to facilitate recruitment of nursing students. To recruit the most appropriate student nurses, educators must ensure that contemporary robust marketing campaigns broaden public awareness of the diverse nature of nursing (Straughair 2012:239)
4.6.1 Sub-theme: Student dropout
The participants were concerned about the high failure rate. Their concern was of students who did not qualify for the selection criteria and this was only discovered by nurse educators when they were already in class at college. Others come because they want money to finish at the university. When they are done they go to where their passion is.
Worry about high failure rate
Student fail because nursing was not their first choice of profession. They came to already having their qualifications and only interested in the stipend.
1st Session: Participant B
We have so many students that indicate:
“If I am not here for what I am supposed to be here for I will run away.”
“I have a degree in this; I have a degree in Commerce; I have a degree in Psychology; I have a degree in Electrical Engineering.”
It is better not to take these students so that they can follow their career path because they have chosen their profession already. “I was studying with UJ doing my second year or my third year.”
An increased student dropout rate has been identified to be affecting nursing student’s progress (Mnikina, Mayeye & Murray 2015:23-31). According to Mohudi (2013:8) in an analysis of college-based nursing students’ performance in biological science in South Africa, attrition rate is highest in the first year, and 30% of students drop out in the first year with graduation rates of only 15%, indicating very poor throughput rates. One is able to pick up that the students had financial constraints; not that nursing is her/his passion. This is also mentioned by Masango (2014:1) who indicated in her study that academic failure is the main reason why students drop out of the four-year comprehensive programme.
2nd Session: Participant A
I asked her,
“Are you only here to receive stipend because I see you as a psychologist? Maybe you were supposed to be in a class of clinical psychologists in your honours level.”
and she said,
“M’am because of finances, I am just here and when I am fine financially then I will go back to the university.” And she dropped out, she did not write the exam.”
2nd Session: Participant D
“As for the unions, they must hear from us. They must hear from the college; they must hear from the nursing educators. Having to take cleaners, gardeners, who have no clue as to what nursing is all about, it’s a waste of time and it’s a waste of tax payers’ money because most of them drop out. Thank you.”
Chester, Bushy, Forti, Kasten and Mckendall (2013) suggested the development, support and evaluation of admission policies and procedures that do not use any favouritism towards candidates. They further states that colleges should adapt the policies where requirements for admission are in line with scores of successful candidates. Those candidates should also follow steps as outlined in the Multiple Hurdle Tobit Model (Carlevaro et al: 2009). This also entails that resume applications, screening, interviews, reference checks and decisions must be guided by the internal recruitment policy, namely the Employment Equity Act, 55 of 1998 and the Public Service Act, 103 of 1994. This will intern safe the tax payer’s money because candidates will be able to complete their training.
4.6.2 Sub-theme: Course extension
The participants indicated that most of the students had family challenges. If students could not balance work and family, they did not perform well academically and ended up with course extension.
Absenteeism of students with chronic illness
The participants were concerned about chronically ill students who were a risk for course extension because they did not disclose their illnesses until they failed to attend lectures and to meet SANC requirements. Some were married and obligated to be pregnant and were also granted maternity leave.
4.6.3 Sub-theme: Inability to reach target of qualified professional nursing ratios
The participants expressed concern because compared to the input; the output of professional nurses on completion of training had deteriorated. This was due to students exiting before completion thus causing frustration to the profession by not producing enough qualified professional nurses. It lowered graduation/pass rate.
Concern about student retention and high failure rate
The participants indicated that they were forced to use the vernacular in class for such students to understand. Some students indicated to the lecturers that they were there to get a salary so that they could go and finish their studies with the universities; it was not that they were interested in nursing.
1st session: Participant D
“And when we checked their documents, they were not supposed to have been called in. Now my question is: I don’t know how it came about and how it happened. They end up being students with documents that do not even meet the criteria for admission to the 4-year comprehensive diploma programme as set out in the admission policy for the course. And because they have already been called, it is very difficult to take them out of the programme. I will quote an example; in 2014 it was very difficult for the HOD. I remember she reported the matter to Head Office in the hope that the students could be terminated but she was told that it was not the students’ mistake. Students continued with training. Now we have these students who were not supposed to be in class, and what do they do? They add to the failure rate because they were actually not supposed to be in class.”
The determination of valid selection criteria against which to predict success in nursing career needs serious attention (Mellish et al 2009:294). Nursing Council (SANC) key informants raised an issues of unsuitability and unqualified candidates brought to the nursing profession for training. This impact negatively on their academic performance as this was not their first choice of profession. They get overwhelmed by the intensity of the course and at the end they realise that nursing isn’t for them and eventually drop (Cook 2012:27). Jooste (2010:167) suggests checking the candidate’s information prior
selection for suitability and evaluate the possibility of course completion by giving them test before being accepted. This should be in line with information outlined in, Table 2.1: Nursing Selection Criteria (Department of Labour 2013). According to the researchers observations, if all these processes could be followed , no candidate will be accepted with documents that do not meet the selection criteria .
2nd session: Participant D
“And if, you know, like you hammer … if. I don’t want to say drill but you hammer a person to understand one thing, even in clinical; you say one thing for many times without them being able to understand exactly what you are saying ... Eventually, for them to understand, you have to use a vernacular language, which does not benefit them because when they are writing theory they are not going to be asked in Sesotho or any of the vernacular languages. That’s why I’m saying, let’s check their matric results.”
Roos (2014:34) in her study suggests entry requirements that permit valid student selection decisions. This was supported by Chester, Bushy, Forti, Kasten and Mckendall (2013) who emphasised the use of admission policies and procedures that do not use any favouritism towards candidates. In the same breath those candidates should also follow steps as outlined in the Multiple Hurdle Tobit Model (Carlevaro et al 2009) which should be guided by the internal recruitment policy, namely the Employment Equity Act, 55 of 1998 and the Public Service Act, 103 of 1994.
Production of incompetent professional nurses
Incompetency of professional nurse starts with how they were selected in the beginning. If the students were borderline achievers, there will be content and skills that are not properly internalised hence they complete the course without the required skills that make them work independently thus compromising the values and standards of the profession.
4.7 THEME 4: RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE CRITERIA DEVELOPMENT